Ink-jet print system

ABSTRACT

An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet print system in which quality troubles (e.g. banding and ink overflow) caused by an unsuitable combination of ink and an ink jet recording medium in an ink jet recording apparatus in the case where the ink jet recording medium is an imitation, are obviated on the basis of printing control information obtained from the ink jet recording medium with an information-detecting sensor, and it is possible to prevent the employment of an ink jet recording medium which a user cannot judge to be a genuine product or an imitation. According to the present invention, an ink jet print system can be obtained in which printing information obtained from an image processor and the printing control information of the ink jet recording medium obtained from the information-detecting sensor are processed and on the basis of information of these kinds, the best image is always formed with the ink jet recording apparatus by the use of a genuine product. The printing control information of the ink jet recording medium is preferably a logo print or a cord image print. The ink jet recording medium is preferably of a rolled paper type. The system is stopped when an imitation is used which does not match with the printing control information.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an ink jet print system, in particular,an ink jet print system which permits obviation of quality troublescaused by employment of an imitation ink jet recording medium called apirated version which a user cannot judged to be an imitation.

In addition, the present invention relates to an ink jet print systemwhich permits obviation of quality troubles caused by employment of animitation ink jet recording medium called a pirated version which an inkjet print operator cannot judged to be an imitation.

In an ink jet print method, images, letters or the like are recorded byallowing fine droplets of ink to fly to adhere them to a recordingmedium such as paper by any of various principles in working. The inkjet print method has, for example, following characteristics: speedingup, noise reduction and multi-color printing are easy, the versatilityof a recording pattern is high, and development-fixation is unnecessary.Therefore, the ink jet print method is being rapidly generalized forvarious purposes in apparatuses for recording various figures includingkanji, color images and the like. Moreover, an image formed by amulti-color ink jet method can be obtained as a record which is by nomeans inferior to a multi-color print obtained by a photoengravingmethod and a photographic print obtained by a color photograph method.Furthermore, for uses requiring only a small number of copies produced,the ink jet recording method is adopted in various fields including thefull-color image recording field because a print produced by this methodis more inexpensive than a photographic print obtained by a photographictechnique, and the diversification of the ink jet recording method is inprogress.

Ink jet recording media and ink are also diversified. For example, asthe ink jet recording media, not only those having an appearance with nogloss or low gloss, such as conventional plain paper and matte paper butalso those having an appearance with a gloss similar to that of artpaper, coated paper, cast-coated paper, photographic paper or the likeare on the market. The diversification of structure of the ink jetrecording media is also in progress as follows: the substrate of eachmedium is paper, a plastic film, nonwoven fabric or the like and themain component of the ink-absorbing layer of the medium is an inorganicpigment such as silica or alumina or an organic material such aspoly(vinylpyrrolidone). Similarly, as the ink, various are on themarket, depending on printer makers and the types of printers.

In addition, ink jet recording apparatuses of such a type that not onlycut sheets but also a roll-like rolled article can be used owing totheir structure are also on the market.

Furthermore, mini-laboratory type apparatuses are also on the market inorder to automate and speed up ink jet printing on a large amount of anink jet recording medium, and there are a large number of storesspecializing in ink jet output. However, there is a flood of a widevariety of ink jet recording media and ink jet recording inks in themarket at present, and a combination of such a medium and such an ink islimited to a specific combination, or their performance characteristicscannot be fully brought out if the medium and the ink do not well matchwith each other. Moreover, in the worst case, the above-mentionedquality troubles such as ink overflow, banding and the like are causedin some cases. Under such circumstances, it is very difficult to satisfyall demands of users.

In recent years, the number of sheets obtained by ink jet recording by auser has been steadily increased with a drop in the price of ink jetrecoding media and the diversification of prints. Therefore, the userreceives a considerable number of sheets of ink jet recording media ofvarious types all at once from a store specializing in ink jet output.Ink jet recording media have been relatively expensive, have been of afew kinds and have been received in a small number all at once by auser. Therefore, there have been relatively few problems even if theneeds of the user are not satisfied. In addition, in the case ofindividual use of a generally used inexpensive ink jet printer, therehas been no particular problem when an ink jet recording mediarecommended by a maker of the ink jet printer and an exclusive ink jetrecording ink are used.

However, there has been a growing demand for output in which the kind ofan ink jet recoding medium used is changed to various types, dependingon the increase of the number of sheets obtained by printing per userand a desired printed image. When a recorded matter is produced in alarge amount and at a high speed by using an ink jet recording medium,the optimization of the ink jet recording medium and ink jet recordingink becomes necessary for satisfying the needs of the user.

Since the performance characteristics of personal computers have beengreatly improved in the past few years, objects which have beenexpressible only by photography or with a printer have becomeexpressible with an ink jet printer for A4 size or A3 size. Althoughlarge ink jet printers are fundamentally the same as the ink jet printerfor A4 size or A3 size, they permit printing in a larger size(900-mm-wide rolled paper or 1200-mm-wide rolled paper is used) and makeit possible to print a complicated object with a large data sizecomposed of a combination of letters, illustrations, photographs and thelike, in exacter colors. Since the performance characteristics of thelarge ink jet printers have been improved in the past few years, arevolution has been started in the advertisement world and the printingworld. It has become possible to produce a small lot of posters,directional signs or advertising signs rapidly and beautifully at a lowcost by printing digital data directly on a practical ink jet recordingmedium (for example, paper, cloth, poly(vinyl chloride) sheet•yupo paperwith tack, a film, tarpaulin, or semiopaque•transparent film fordecorative illumination) in a practical size.

The large ink jet printers have the following advantages. They includethose for seal sticker•automobile and those for the windows ofstore•building. Printing on a poly(vinyl chloride) film with tack oryupo paper with tack is conducted and laminating treatment was carriedout, followed by cutting of the periphery. A print with a relativelysimple content (for example, letters showing the name of company for anautomobile, or a logo mark of three or four colors) can be produced bycutting sheet and can be neatly finished. There is POP for largeposters, poster panel•exhibition, entertainment•event, and promotion ofsale. Employment of dye ink is sufficient because vivid colordevelopment is necessary for attraction and the period of service isrelatively short.

A user brings image data into a store specializing in ink jet output andrequests output using a desired ink jet recording medium. Needless tosay, the user selects a store specializing in ink jet output whichcarries out beautiful output at a low price and accurately adjusts colormatching. In the case of digital printing, accurate output of colors isdifficult, so that a disastrous result of printing is often obtained ifthe data brought into by the user is outputted as it is. Therefore, thestore specializing in ink jet output judges the opinion and purpose ofuse of the user from the standpoint of an expert and selects the bestink for the ink jet recording medium. Special care is necessary when theprint is used in an outdoor signboard, an electrically illuminatedsignboard or the like. When the user makes a request to an operatorhaving no expert experience and knowledge about signboards in the storespecializing in ink jet output, a disastrous result is obtained.

In addition, the store specializing in ink jet output has to process thedata quickly. A print can be produced at a low cost because onlyprinting of the digital data is conducted. When the data are onceobtained, they are unnecessary in the second and subsequent operations.The store can produce a small lot of posters, i.e., about 200 or lessposters at a lower cost as compared with printing with a printingmachine because the store can omit steps such as photoengraving. Anarticle with a relatively simple content (for example, a signboard fullof letters) can be produced at a lower cost by handwriting or cuttingsheet. In the case of an article with a complicated content involving aphotograph and a gradation, ink jet is more advantageous.

In addition, the ink jet has various uses as follows. For the decorationof a room, the ink jet is employed in the case of original posters,calendars, photographic panels, tapestries and the like. When the inkjet is utilized by an operator for producing a signboard, it is employedin the case of outdoor•indoor signboards, guide boards forentertainment•event, signboards for store, electrically illuminatedsignboards, rooftop advertising signboards, information maps, bannersfor advertisement on wall surface, and the like. Moreover, the ink jetpermits beautiful finishing within a shorter period for delivery ascompared with a conventional means for producing a signboard (paintingor cutting sheet). Owing to the spread of signboards produced by the inkjet, the contents of advertising media are desired to be morecomplicated and higher-degree contents involving a photograph and agradation, as compared with conventional simple contents. As to theutilization of stores specializing in ink jet output, there is a growingdemand for the stores because even a small lot of prints can be producedin a short period for delivery and at a low cost in these stores withoutintermediate steps such as photoengraving.

In selecting an ink jet recording medium, it is safe to make adetermination after consulting a store specializing in ink jet output.In the case of articles used for a long period of time or in the open,such as advertising products and signboards, their weather resistance,water resistance and removability come into question. Therefore, it issafe to ask a store specializing in ink jet output and having suchknowledge, to make a determination. Working (attachment) is also animportant problem. Because of properties of a print produced by the inkjet, attachment on the spot is unavoidable in some cases. An ink jetrecording medium has to be selected which matches with a material for asurface to which the print is attached and the shape and unevenness ofthe surface. In the case of an output product with a large area (forexample, a product obtained by output in portions (several meters each))or an article to be attached to a widow surface (air bubbles, dust andthe like are seen from the backside), the attachment is impossibleunless a request for it is made to an expert worker.

Large ink jet printers have been being rapidly spread in recent yearsbecause they are smaller than conventional printing machines and thelike and give superior images. However, even in such a large ink jetprinter, when printing is conducted on different kinds of printingpapers by the same method, the manners of running and drying of ink varydepending on the printing papers, so that the colors and density ofimages formed are not uniform, resulting in output of images differentfrom the original image data.

That is, in the ink jet printer, dots are formed by discharging fine inkdroplets from an ink jet head to strike the droplets against an ink jetrecording medium. However, since the ink droplets run, spread and dryafter the striking against the ink jet recording medium, the size of adot formed by one of the ink droplets varies depending on the ease ofblotting of the ink jet recording medium (for example, a coated-papertype ink jet recording medium hardly blots but a plain-paper type inkjet recording medium blots easily). In practice, the variation appearsas the difference of the density to human eyes. In addition, a colorchange is caused in some cases, depending on printing paper.

In order to obtain a good image in ink jet recording, the best matchingof ink with an ink jet recording medium is necessary. That is, it isnecessary to prepare the best recording medium for predetermined printerand ink. This recording medium is generally called exclusive paper. Inthe case of a commercial printer for domestic use, there is a step ofselecting printing paper used and printing mode on the screen of acomputer at the time of printing. According to this selection, thecomputer controls the discharge of ink so that an image most suitablefor a recording medium (in general, printing paper) set in the printercan be obtained. When a wrong selection of printing paper is made,serious problems such as ink overflow and the banding describedhereinafter are often caused. Particularly when a beautiful photographis desired, the wrong selection of printing paper results in output of aprint disagreeable to see. That is, when the combination of ink and therecording medium is wrong, no good image is obtained as a result.

In this case, the printing mode includes, for example, a draft mode, anormal mode, a high-grade mode and a highest-grade mode. These modes aredifferent in the number of relative scanning operations of a print head,i.e., the number of its passes, per dot line of the recording medium.For example, a dot line is formed by one pass in the case of the draftmode, two passes in the case of the normal mode, four passes in the caseof the high-grade mode or eight passes in the case of the highest-grademode. The number of nozzles for forming a dot line is increased with anincrease of the number of passes. As a result, density non-uniformitycaused by the non-uniformity of the amount of ink discharged from eachnozzle is reduced and spaces (banding) between dots or lines becomeinconspicuous, but the amount of ink discharged per unit area isincreased.

In order to prevent this increase, attempts have been made to make itpossible to output the same image even by the use of different kinds ofink jet recording media by changing an image processing method,depending on the kinds of the ink jet recording media, ink and the like.

For this purpose, it is, of course, necessary that the ink jet printershould recognize the kind of ink jet recording medium set in theapparatus. As to a method for the recognition, it has been necessary foran ink jet print operator to determine the kind of the ink jet recordingmedium by means of the printer driver and operating panel on thecomputer.

However, the ink jet print operator cannot judge the ink jet recordingmedium to be either a genuine one or a general-purpose one by visualobservation of only the recording medium. Moreover, the circulation ofinexpensive and inferior imitations called pirated versions has begun onthe market in recent years, so that damage from printing troubles isincreasing. Since the ink jet print operator cannot judge the ink jetrecording medium as described above, the operator cannot make a judgmentin some cases without actual printing. What is worse, there is thefollowing problem. If the ink jet recording medium is found to be animitation from the beginning, the damage is slight. However, if animitation ink jet recording medium mixes with a genuine one, not onlythe printing cost due to the ink jet recording medium and ink but alsothe separation and recovery cost are increased when a defective print isfound after ink jet printing of a large amount the above recordingmedia. In addition, in the worst case, the maintenance of the whole inkjet print system becomes necessary owing to frequent troubles such asink overflow, resulting in an enormous loss to an ink jet print trader.This is a serious problem.

As prior arts, there are those in which whether an ink cartridge set ina printer is a regular one or not is automatically judged (see, forexample, JP-A-7-227972 (column 0003)). There are also prior arts thatprovide a recording sheet having the following various performancecharacteristics: it is stable in detectability, its mark portion fordetection is not so conspicuous to be an eyesore, and a space forsetting a detector in a printer can be reduced (see, for example,JP-A-2000-238416 (column 0052)). In addition, there are print outputapparatuses which make it possible to judge the adaptability of areplaceable part with high precision by utilizing the existing structureof the apparatus to maximum without adding a means for possessinginformation to the replaceable part (see, for example, JP-A-2003-223083(column 0015)).

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

However, the above-mentioned determination of the kind of an ink jetrecording medium by an ink jet print operator has to be carried outwhenever the kind of an ink jet recording medium is changed. Thus, thedetermination has been troublesome also to the ink jet print operator.In addition, if the determination is wrong, the print quality is alsoinfluenced thereby, so that no image can be obtained by utilizing theoptimum performance of the recording medium.

Moreover, from the appearance of the ink jet recording medium, the inkjet print operator cannot judge what an image quality can be attained.In particular, in recent years, imitation ink jet recording media calledpirated versions, which have a bad quality and an appearance similar tothat of a genuine ink jet recording medium most suitable for the ink jetprint system, have appeared on the market, so that quality troubles suchas ink overflow and banding are often caused. This is becoming aproblem.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to use automaticallyonly a genuine ink jet recording medium which makes it possible toselect the optimum ink, depending on the kind of the ink jet recordingmedium, and to obviate printing troubles caused by the employment of aninferior imitation called a pirated version. As a result, the object isto provide a ink jet print system which can always provide a user withimages of the highest quality by the optimization of the ink jetrecording medium, ink and the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet printsystem that markedly reduces a loss caused by the occurrence of printingtroubles (e.g. banding and ink overflow) caused by a wrong combinationof ink and an ink jet recording medium in an ink jet recording apparatuswhich is due to the employment of an imitation ink jet recording mediumcalled a pirated version. In addition, the object is to provide an inkjet print system which makes it possible to obviate printing troublescaused by a flood of imitation ink jet recording media, which an ink jetprint operator cannot judge, on the market, and to reduce greatly a lossdue to accidents by controlling the ink jet recording medium, the inkand the like.

The present invention relates to an ink jet print system in which an inkjet recording medium previously having printing control information iscontinuously driven with a conveying apparatus, and print data iscontinuously processed with an ink jet recording apparatus set in themiddle of a conveyance pathway, to output a printed image.

The printing control information according to the present inventionpreferably involves information of various kinds about the kind of inkmost suitable for the ink jet recording medium, the kind of a substrateand the kind of an ink-receiving layer(s), and at least one item ofinformation for controlling a conveying and driving apparatus, an inkjet recording apparatus, and a discharging apparatus for ink nozzles inthe recording apparatus, a cutter apparatus, a tray apparatus and thelike, which information is for controlling a series of the apparatusesof the ink jet print system on the basis of the above-mentionedinformation of various kinds.

The present invention is itemized as in the following list.

(1) An ink jet print system in which an ink jet recording mediumpreviously having printing control information is continuously drivenwith a conveying apparatus, and print data is continuously processedwith an ink jet recording apparatus set in the middle of a conveyancepathway, to output a printed image.

(2) An ink jet print system according to (1), wherein the printingcontrol information involves information of various kinds about the kindof ink most suitable for the ink jet recording medium, the kind of asubstrate and the kind of an ink-receiving layer(s), and at least oneitem of information for controlling a conveying and driving apparatus,an ink jet recording apparatus, and a discharging apparatus for inknozzles in the recording apparatus, a cutter apparatus, a tray apparatusand the like, which information is for controlling a series of theapparatuses of the ink jet print system on the basis of theabove-mentioned information of various kinds.

(3) An ink jet print system according to (1) or (2), wherein aninformation-detecting sensor is located short of said ink jet recordingapparatus in the conveyance pathway, and the driving apparatus stopswhen the printing control information is not detected in said ink jetrecording medium.

(4) An ink jet print system according to (1) or (2), wherein aninformation-detecting sensor is located short of said ink jet recordingapparatus in the conveyance pathway, and an image different from thatbased on image data is outputted so as not to permit formation of adesired image, without interlocking said ink jet recording apparatuswith the conveying apparatus, when the printing control information isnot detected in said ink jet recording medium.

(5) An ink jet print system according to (1) or (2), wherein aninformation-detecting sensor is located short of said ink jet recordingapparatus in the conveyance pathway, and the discharge of ink in saidink jet recording apparatus is stopped to output no printed image whenthe printing control information is not detected in said ink jetrecording medium.

(6) An ink jet print system according to (1) or (2), wherein aninformation-detecting sensor is located short of said ink jet recordingapparatus in the conveyance pathway; information related to the printingcontrol information of said ink jet recording medium is stored in thesystem as database information and compared with the printing controlinformation of said ink jet recording medium obtained from theinformation-detecting sensor; and said ink jet recording medium is cutto a predetermined length with a cutter apparatus to conduct finishingwhen the printing control information of said ink jet recording mediumagrees with the database information in the system.

(7) An ink jet print system according to any one of (1) to (3), whereininformation related to the printing control information of said ink jetrecording medium is stored in the system as database information andcompared with the printing control information of said ink jet recordingmedium obtained from the information-detecting sensor, and the conveyingand driving apparatus stops when the printing control information doesnot agree with the database information.

(8) An ink jet print system according to any one of (1), (2) and (4),wherein information related to the printing control information of saidink jet recording medium is stored in the system as database informationand compared with the printing control information of said ink jetrecording medium obtained from said information-detecting sensor, and animage different from that based on image data is outputted so as not topermit formation of a desired image, without interlocking said ink jetrecording apparatus with the conveying apparatus, when the printingcontrol information does not agree with the database information.

(9) An ink jet print system according to any one of (1), (2) and (5),wherein information related to the printing control information of saidink jet recording medium is stored in the system as database informationand compared with the printing control information of said ink jetrecording medium obtained from the information-detecting sensor, and thedischarge of ink in the ink jet recording apparatus is stopped to outputno printed image when the printing control information does not agreewith the database information.

(10) An ink jet print system according to any one of (1) to (9), whereinsaid ink jet recording medium is a rolled paper having a core.

(11) An ink jet print system according to any one of (1), (2), (5) and(9), wherein the discharge of ink in said ink jet recording apparatus isstopped and the conveying apparatus is driven to recover the ink jetrecording medium having no printed image, with a roll-recoveringapparatus.

(12) An ink jet print system according to any one of (1), (2), (4) and(8), wherein the discharge of ink in said ink jet recording apparatus isstopped and the conveying apparatus is driven to recover the ink jetrecording medium having an outputted image different from that based onimage data, with a roll-recovering apparatus.

(13) An ink jet print system according to (1) or (2), wherein said inkjet recording medium is separated with a roll-recovering apparatus.

(14) An ink jet print system according to (1) or (2), wherein said inkjet recording medium is cut with a cutter and then separated with thetray apparatus, instead of using a roll-recovering apparatus.

(15) An ink jet print system according to any one of (1) to (10),wherein said printing control information is provided on the sidereverse to the side of said ink jet recording medium on which ink jetrecording is to be conducted.

(16) An ink jet print system according to any one of (1) to (10),wherein said printing control information of said ink jet recordingmedium is detected with the information-detecting sensor by means of atleast one light selected from visible light, near infrared rays andfluorescence.

(17) An ink jet print system according to any one of (1) to (10),wherein at least one of a logo print and code information is selected assaid printing control information of said ink jet recording medium andis detected with the information-detecting sensor.

(18) An ink jet print system according to any one of (1) to (10),wherein after the impartment of said printing control information tosaid ink jet recording medium, the surface on which the impartment hasbeen carried out is subjected to at least one treatment selected fromcoating of the surface with a resin by extrusion coating and attachmentof a resin film to the surface.

(19) An ink jet print system according to any one of (1), (2), (4) and(8), wherein the amount of ink discharged from the ink nozzles of theink jet recording apparatus is smaller than the optimum amount by 10% ormore, or the speed of conveyance of the ink jet recording medium in theink jet recording apparatus is higher than the optimum speed by 10% ormore.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the whole structure of a print systemaccording to an embodiment of the present invention. The referencenumerals denote the following.

-   -   1: image processor,    -   2: processing-for-printing apparatus,    -   3: conveying and driving apparatus,    -   4: ink jet recording apparatus,    -   5: information-detecting sensor,    -   6: ink jet recording medium,    -   7: cutter apparatus,    -   8: tray apparatus,    -   9: roll-recovering apparatus,    -   a: printing information,    -   b: output information,    -   c: printing control information,    -   d: direction of scanning,    -   e: image data.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A first embodiment of the present invention is an ink jet print systemin which an ink jet recording medium previously having printing controlinformation is continuously driven with a conveying apparatus, and printdata is continuously processed with an ink jet recording apparatus setin the middle of a conveyance pathway, to output a printed image, and inwhich an information-detecting sensor is located short of said ink jetrecording apparatus in the conveyance pathway, and the conveying anddriving apparatus stops when the printing control information is notdetected in said ink jet recording medium.

In addition, the first embodiment is preferably an ink jet print systemin which information related to the printing control information of saidink jet recording medium is stored in the system as database informationand compared with the printing control information of said ink jetrecording medium obtained from the information-detecting sensor, and theconveying and driving apparatus stops when the printing controlinformation does not agree with the database information.

A second embodiment of the present invention is an ink jet print systemin which an ink jet recording medium previously having printing controlinformation is continuously driven with a conveying apparatus, and printdata is continuously processed with an ink jet recording apparatus setin the middle of a conveyance pathway, to output a printed image, and inwhich an information-detecting sensor is located short of said ink jetrecording apparatus in the conveyance pathway, and an image differentfrom that based on image data is outputted so as not to permit formationof a desired image, without interlocking said ink jet recordingapparatus with the conveying apparatus, when the printing controlinformation is not detected in said ink jet recording medium.

In addition, the second embodiment is an ink jet print system in whichinformation related to the printing control information of said ink jetrecording medium is stored in the system as database information andcompared with the printing control information of said ink jet recordingmedium obtained from said information-detecting sensor, and an imagedifferent from that based on image data is outputted so as not to permitformation of a desired image, without interlocking said ink jetrecording apparatus with the conveying apparatus, when the printingcontrol information does not agree with the database information.

A third embodiment of the present invention is an ink jet print systemin which an ink jet recording medium previously having printing controlinformation is continuously driven with a conveying apparatus, and printdata is continuously processed with an ink jet recording apparatus setin the middle of a conveyance pathway, to output a printed image, and inwhich an information-detecting sensor is located short of said ink jetrecording apparatus in the conveyance pathway, and the discharge of inkin said ink jet recording apparatus is stopped to output no printedimage when the printing control information is not detected in said inkjet recording medium.

In addition, the third embodiment is a ink jet print system in whichinformation related to the printing control information of said ink jetrecording medium is stored in the system as database information andcompared with the printing control information of said ink jet recordingmedium obtained from the information-detecting sensor, and the dischargeof ink in said ink jet recording apparatus is stopped to output noprinted image when the printing control information does not agree withthe database information.

A fourth embodiment of the present invention is an ink jet print systemin which an ink jet recording medium previously having printing controlinformation is continuously driven with a conveying apparatus, and printdata is continuously processed with an ink jet recording apparatus setin the middle of a conveyance pathway, to output a printed image, and inwhich an information-detecting sensor is located short of said ink jetrecording apparatus in the conveyance pathway; information related tothe printing control information of said ink jet recording medium isstored in the system as database information and compared with theprinting control information of said ink jet recording medium obtainedfrom the information-detecting sensor; and said ink jet recording mediumis cut to a predetermined length with a cutter apparatus to conductfinishing when the printing control information of the ink jet recordingmedium agrees with the database information in the system.

In the ink jet print system of the present invention, said ink jetrecording medium is preferably a rolled paper having a core.

In the ink jet print system of the present invention, when the dischargeof ink in said ink jet recording apparatus is stopped, the conveyingapparatus is preferably driven to recover the ink jet recording mediumin an unprinted state with a roll-recovering apparatus, or said ink jetrecording medium may be cut with a cutter and then separated with thetray apparatus, instead of using the roll-recovering apparatus.

It is necessary to print printing control information on said ink jetrecording medium used in the ink jet print system of the presentinvention. Said printing control information is preferably provided onthe side reverse to the side of said ink jet recording medium on whichink jet recording is to be conducted. Said printing control informationof said ink jet recording medium is preferably detected by means ofvisible light, near infrared rays or fluorescence. In addition, saidprinting control information of said ink jet recording medium is verypreferably a logo print or code information.

The ink jet print system of the present invention preferably stops whensaid printing control information is not detected by said detectingapparatus, or when said printing control information inputted from saiddetecting apparatus does not agree with output information inputted intosaid processing-for-printing apparatus.

The ink jet recording medium used in the ink jet print system of thepresent invention is preferably treated as follows: after the impartmentof said printing control information, the surface on which theimpartment has been carried out is coated with a resin by extrusioncoating, or a resin film is attached to this surface.

In addition, a command to control printing included in said printingcontrol information in the present invention can prevent the interlockof the optimum amount of ink discharged from ink nozzles with the speedof conveyance of the ink jet recording medium in the ink jet recordingapparatus. Preferably, said command to control reduces the amount of inkdischarged from the ink nozzles of the ink jet recording apparatus by10% or more as compared with the optimum amount, or increases the speedof conveyance of the ink jet recording medium in the ink jet recordingapparatus by 10% or more as compared with the optimum speed, whereby animage is formed on the ink jet recording medium.

According to the present invention, a distinction can be made between animitation called a pirated version which cannot exhibit the bestperformance in the formation of a printed image and a genuine ink jetrecording medium which can exhibit the best performance in the formationof a printed image, and an economic loss due to unsatisfactory printingis markedly reduced. Therefore, impressive effects can be obtained whichincrease the economical benefit greatly.

Furthermore, according to the ink jet print system of the presentinvention, print troubles can be prevented as follows even if an ink jetprint operator uses an unadaptable ink jet recording medium such as animitation because the operator cannot judge it to be unadaptable: theconveying apparatus itself stops, or an image different from that basedon image data is outputted so as not to give a desired image, or the inkjet recording medium is recovered without printing thereon. Owing to theprevention, the print troubles are obviated and moreover, the followingadvantages can be obtained: the burden on the ink jet print operator islessened, a printed image on an ink jet recording medium can beoutputted by sufficient exhibition of the best performancecharacteristics of the recording medium, and excellent workingefficiency and economical benefit can be attained.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The best mode for carrying out the present invention is explained belowin detail.

At first, a general embodiment is explained in which the ink jet printsystem of the present invention is used. A user brings digital dataprepared with a personal computer or the like into a store specializingin ink jet print, in order to output a desired printed image onto an inkjet recording medium by printing. Usually, the digital data areconverted into print data for an ink jet recording apparatus with animage processor so that the optimum image output result can be obtainedwith respect to the ink jet recording medium, ink and the like. Theprint data are sent to the ink jet recording apparatus to cause thedischarge of ink in ink tanks through nozzles and the formation of adesired image.

In the ink jet print system of the present invention, a series of theapparatuses of said system can be controlled on the basis of theprinting control information of an ink jet recording medium. The systemcomprises, for example, a conveying and driving apparatus for feedingthe ink jet recording medium continuously to a conveyance pathway todrive the same; an ink jet recording apparatus capable of controllingnozzles for various inks to control the amounts of the inks discharged;a cutter apparatus for cutting a printed product of the ink jetrecording medium to a predetermined length; and a tray apparatus forseparation and recovery after the cutting with the cutter apparatus. Thesystem controls them synthetically.

The printing control information in the present invention is informationfor attaining the best matching of the ink jet recording medium with anink jet recording ink, and this information is reflected in the ink jetprint system.

That is, the printing control information includes information ofvarious kinds regarding, for example, the kind of ink most suitable forthe ink jet recording medium (selected from dyes, pigments, penetrantsand the like), the kind of a substrate (selected from pulp, fillers,strength agents, sizing agents, fluorescent dyes, color dyes and thelike) and the kind of an ink-receiving layer(s) (selected from pigments,binders, dye fixing agents and the like). Moreover, the printing controlinformation has to include at least one item of information forsynthetically controlling the conveying and driving apparatus, the inkjet recording apparatus, a discharging apparatus for the ink nozzles inthe ink jet recording apparatus, the cutter apparatus, the trayapparatus and the like, which information is for controlling a series ofthe apparatuses of the ink jet print system on the basis of theabove-mentioned information of various kinds.

In addition, if necessary, the traceability of the product can beimparted by incorporation of information on an order for the product,lots of the products, product number and the like. It is preferable toregister a recognizable image detected with an information-detectingsensor, previously in the system to store the same as databaseinformation.

In the ink jet print system of the present invention, the image outputof the ink jet print system is controlled by processing print dataoutputted from the image processor and the printing control informationdetected in the ink jet recording medium having this information withthe information-detecting sensor. This system optimizes ink jetrecording ink and the ink jet recording medium on the basis of theprinting control information recorded in the ink jet recording medium,to always assure the best image output. For example, there are a widevariety of products as the ink jet recording ink and the ink jetrecording medium, and depending on a combination of the ink jetrecording ink and the ink jet recording medium, print troubles such asbanding and ink overflow are caused in some cases, or the inherentperformance characteristics of the ink jet recording ink and the ink jetrecording medium cannot be exhibited, so that no satisfactory printedimage can be obtained.

Furthermore, in the ink jet print system of the present invention, inthe case where the ink jet recording medium cannot exhibit the bestperformance in the system on the basis of the printing controlinformation of the ink jet recording medium, in particular, the casewhere an ink jet print operator uses as a genuine product an inferiorimitation ink jet recording medium which cannot be judged by itsappearance, the ink jet print operator can confirm such a caseimmediately owing to the stop of the conveying apparatus, the stop ofthe discharge of ink from the ink jet recording apparatus, or the outputof a changed printed image on the ink jet recording medium. Moreover,the system can carry out control automatically without operation by theink jet print operator. Therefore, the burden on the ink jet printoperator can be lessened, and the following effect can be obtained. Anink jet recording medium having such a quality trouble that no desiredprinted image can be obtained, merely becomes broke. Particularly in thecase of a large-sized ink jet recording medium used for a purpose suchas advertisement, not only its high cost but also a loss including thecost of disposal of the broke and the operation loss due to printtroubles can be reduced to the utmost limit.

The ink jet print system of the present invention is obtained byintegrating a series of apparatuses such as the conveying apparatus, theink jet recording apparatus, the cutter apparatus and a tray drivingapparatus, and the system makes it possible to control a series of theseapparatuses on the basis of said printing control information obtainedfrom the ink jet recording medium. The conveying apparatus comprises,for example, a conveying roll equipped with a conveying and drivingdevice, a roll for sending out the core of a rolled paper, or a roll foradjusting the angle of wrap which itself is not driven and is forintroduction into any of various apparatuses. The ink jet recordingapparatus is preferably such that ink is discharged through each of jetnozzles equipped with individual ink tanks for multiple colors. Thecutter apparatus is an apparatus for cutting the ink jet recordingmedium to a predetermined length after the formation of an image on therecording medium, and makes it possible to control the cutting on thebasis of said printing control information. The apparatuses can becontrolled either individually or in an interlock manner, depending onthe kind of said printing control information.

The ink jet print system of the present invention is explained below indetail with reference to the drawing showing one example of the system.

A user submits digital data (image data e) obtained by photographingwith a digital camera or the like for requesting ink jet print, to anink jet print output store and requests ink jet print. An ink jet printoperator who has complied with the request selects an ink jet recordingmedium, ink jet recording ink and the like properly, depending on theimage data e the employment of which is required by the user. The inkjet print operator inputs the image data e submitted by the user into animage processor 1. The image data e inputted is converted to printinginformation a for printing in an ink jet recording apparatus, in theimage processor 1 and then inputted into a processing-for-printingapparatus 2.

In the drawing, as the ink jet recording medium, a rolled paper type oneis used.

An information-detecting sensor 5 detects a cord image on the reverseside of the ink jet recording medium 6 and sends cord image informationto the processing-for-printing apparatus 2. The processing-for-printingapparatus 2 conducts information processing for printing controlinformation c sent from the information-detecting sensor 5, by referenceto and comparison with database information stored inside theprocessing-for-printing apparatus 2. On the basis of the printingcontrol information c, the processing-for-printing apparatus 2 altersprinting conditions so as to obviate print defects such as ink overflowand banding, and controls a conveying apparatus 3 and an ink jetrecording apparatus 4 so as to obtain the optimum printed image on theink jet recording medium. Thus, the processing-for-printing apparatus 2makes preparation for ink jet printing output of output information b.The ink jet recording apparatus is preferably equipped with a largenumber of ink tanks containing various inks, respectively, and a largenumber of automatically replaceable printing nozzles, as supplementaryapparatuses, so as to give an image most suitable for any of various inkjet recording media.

From the processing-for-printing apparatus 2, information obtained bycombining the output information b with the control information c issent to the whole system simultaneously with a signal for the start ofink jet printing output. The ink jet recording medium 6 is sent in thedirection a of main scanning by sending-out of its core by a conveyingapparatus 3, subjected to printing by the ink jet recording apparatus,cut to a predetermined length in a cutter apparatus 7 on the basis ofthe printing control information, separated in a tray apparatus 8, andthen discharged.

In the drawing, the image processor 1 may be a personal computer as atypical example, and has software for preparation of printing data to besent to the processing-for-printing apparatus 2. A mere memory forobtaining a desired printed image may be used in place of the software.

The processing-for-printing apparatus 2 is equipped with, for example,the following (not shown): a print head driving circuit, a conveyingcircuit, a circuit for the input and output of external data, a centralarithmetical unit for controlling the whole of theprocessing-for-printing apparatus 2, and database information includingstored information about the optimum printing conditions attained by,for example, combination of ink jet recording ink and the ink jetrecording medium.

The conveying apparatus 3 comprises a paper feed roller unit, aconveying and driving portion and the like, though all of a series ofdevices for driving the ink jet recording medium are not shown. Theconveying apparatus 3 conveys a cartridge of the ink jet recordingmedium 6 in the form of a rolled paper attached to a core, in thedirection of scanning shown by the arrow in the drawing, on the basis ofprinting information from the processing-for-printing apparatus 2. As ameans for the conveyance and driving, any means may be employed so longas the recording medium can be conveyed without any trouble. That is,the core may be driven, or the ink jet recording medium may be sent byholding it between rolls, or the ink jet recording medium may be cutsheets.

In the case of ink jet printing, it is important to convey the recordingmedium so that the conveyance may be synchronized with the discharge ofink. If the discharge and the conveyance are not synchronized with eachother, no good image can be obtained.

The ink jet recording apparatus 4 comprises a print head, a print headdriving device, a head maintenance device and the like, which are notshown. Ink tanks for supplying ink to the print head or variousreplaceable ink cartridges can be automatically set in the ink jetrecording apparatus 4 so as to be freely removable.

The information-detecting sensor 5 detects the printing controlinformation c composed of a recognizable image on the reverse side ofthe ink jet recording medium 6, such as a printed logo, dot cord or barcord, takes the printing control information c in as information aboutthe ink jet recoding medium, and sends the printing control informationc to the processing-for-printing apparatus 2.

In the ink jet print system of the present invention, the data processorof the processing-for-printing apparatus 2 chooses printing conditionsin the database stored information so as to permit the optimum printingon the ink jet recording medium, on the basis of the printing controlinformation c from the information-detecting sensor 5, controls theconveying apparatus 3 and the ink jet recording apparatus 4, andprocesses the printing information b for printing.

The embodiment described above is an example for explaining the presentinvention. The present invention is not limited to the above embodimentand various changes and modifications may be made without departing fromthe gist of the invention. For example, the image processor 1 may be acommon personal computer and need not be provided in the ink jet printerequipment described above.

Next, the control of the ink jet print system of the present inventionis explained below in detail.

In the ink jet print system of the present invention, in the case wheresaid printing control information is not detected by saidinformation-detecting sensor, or the case where even if a genuine inkjet recording medium is used, its optimum performance cannot beexhibited because of unsuitable ink, or the case where a print troubleis caused in spite of employment of adaptable ink because of employmentof an imitation ink jet recording medium such as a pirated version whichis not a genuine one produced by a bona fide maker, there can be taken ameasure to prevent printing on an ink jet recording medium completely,such as the stop of the conveying apparatus or the stop of the dischargeof ink from the nozzles of the ink jet recording apparatus. Moreover,control can be exercised so as to prevent the formation of a desiredprinted image on the ink jet recording medium, by preventinginterlocking of the conveying and driving apparatus and the ink jetrecording apparatus with each other. When the system stops owing to thestop of the conveying and driving apparatus, the discharge of inkpreferably stops. That is, in the ink jet print system of the presentinvention, when the ink jet recording medium is a genuine one, itsoptimum performance can be exhibited. Even if the ink jet recordingmedium is an imitation, the occurrence of quality troubles can beprevented.

Furthermore, in the ink jet print system of the present invention, whensaid printing control information is not detected by saidinformation-detecting sensor, an image can be outputted withoutinterlocking of said ink jet recording apparatus and said conveying anddriving apparatus with each other in order not to permit formation of adesired image. Therefore, the printed image on the ink jet recordingmedium is undesired one and the ink jet print operator can easilyconfirm this fact. Accordingly, the ink jet operator can take acountermeasure against the ink jet recording medium or mismatching ofink immediately, so that no quality trouble is caused, resulting in ahigher working efficiency. That is, at the same amount of ink dischargedfrom the ink jet recording nozzles, an extended image is obtained whenthe conveyance speed of said conveying and driving apparatus isincreased, while a shrunk image is obtained when the speed is reduced.On the other hand, at the same conveyance speed of said conveying anddriving apparatus, the print density is decreased when the amount of inkdischarged from the ink jet recording nozzles is reduced, and the printdensity is increased when the amount of ink discharged is increased.

For economical benefit and the avoidance of quality troubles, theconveyance speed is preferably increased and the amount of inkdischarged is preferably reduced. Moreover, in the ink jet print systemof the present invention, the conveyance speed and the amount of inkdischarged may be individually controlled.

In the ink jet print system of the present invention, informationrelated to the printing imparted information of said ink jet recordingmedium is preferably stored in a database in the processing-for-printingapparatus provided as an attachment for data processing. In saidprocessing-for-printing apparatus, said printing control information andsaid print data are processed and are reflected in the ink jet printsystem.

As the information stored in the database, there is preferably stored,as described above, information about brands concerning the kind of asubstrate and the kind of an ink-receiving layer(s) for the ink jetrecording medium and information of all kinds for selecting the optimumink as ink jet recording ink employed for said medium. In particular,for excluding an imitation, it is preferable to store as muchinformation detectable with the information-detecting sensor as possiblein the database to prevent imitation. In addition, since the ink jetrecording medium is somewhat different in some cases, depending onproduction lot and order, the system is preferably such that feedback isgiven on the amount of ink discharged in the ink jet recording apparatusand the selection of ink jet recording ink in the consideration ofinformation about the numbers for production described above.

In the ink jet print system of the present invention, it is necessary tohave specific linked information about the printing control informationand said database stored information, in the information processing withthe processing-for-printing apparatus. When the linked informationindicates the disagreement between the above two kinds of information,the conveying apparatus can be stopped. Said linked information may bepreviously set in constructing the ink jet print system of the presentinvention, or information on a novel product can be newly inputted afterconstructing the system. By contrast, the linked information can beproperly altered, for example, by omitting information about disusedbrands.

In the ink jet print system of the present invention, when the printingcontrol information does not agree with the database stored informationin the information processing with the processing-for-printingapparatus, a changed image can be outputted without interlocking of theink jet recording apparatus and the conveying and driving apparatus witheach other in order not to permit formation of a desired image.Therefore, an ink jet print operator can easily confirm the mismatchingthrough the printed image on the ink jet recording medium and hence cancope with the mismatching immediately.

In the ink jet print system of the present invention, when the printingcontrol information obtained from the ink jet recording medium by theinformation-detecting sensor does not agree with the database storedinformation in the information processing with theprocessing-for-printing apparatus, the conveying and driving apparatusfor conveying the ink jet recording medium can be stopped. The stop ofthe conveying and driving apparatus markedly reduces the conveyance ofan ink jet recording medium that causes unprofitable quality troublesand inferior print, and hence this stop is very economical. When theconveying and driving apparatus is stopped, a roll-form ink jetrecording medium can be returned to a feeder to be rewound, by thereversion of the conveying and driving apparatus, or can be recovered bywinding-up with a winding-up and recovering device. In addition, an inkjet recording medium in a cut sheet form can be separated and recoveredwith the tray apparatus.

In the ink jet print system of the present invention, when said printingcontrol information does not agree with said database stored informationin the information processing with said processing-for-printingapparatus, the discharge of ink in the ink jet recording apparatus canbe stopped. In this case, the conveying and driving apparatus keepsworking and a roll-form ink jet recording medium is wound up in anunprinted state with a recovering apparatus, while cut sheets can beseparated and recovered with the tray apparatus.

Thus, when said printing control information does not agree with saiddatabase stored information even partly, the roll or cut sheets can beseparated as a defective product without printing in the ink jetrecording apparatus, so that unnecessary inferior prints, printingtroubles and the like are obviated, resulting in a high workingefficiency. Therefore, a great economical benefit can be gained andmoreover, it becomes possible to provide a print by the optimization ofan ink jet recording medium and ink jet recording ink.

In the ink jet print system of the present invention, when said printingcontrol information does not agree with said print data, an imagedifferent from that based on image data can be outputted in order not topermit formation of a desired image, by changing the amount of inkdischarged in the ink jet recording apparatus. However, since it isuneconomical to print the image different from that based on the imagedata on the whole of the ink jet recording medium, proper adjustment canbe carried out. It is preferable to print out a print sample in anamount corresponding to approximately a cut sheet and stop the conveyingand driving apparatus to indicate mismatching of the ink jet recordingmedium to an operator. In addition, in this case, the following ispreferable: after the print sample is printed out, the discharge of inkjet recording ink is stopped and the ink jet recording medium is cutinto a cut sheet, and the conveying and driving apparatus isautomatically stopped.

In the ink jet print system of the present invention, as said ink jetrecording medium, rolled paper is preferably wound around a core andsubjected to ink jet recording. Needless to say, an ink jet recordingmedium in a cut sheet form may also be used depending on the kind of theconveying and driving apparatus, though considering the high-speedprintability and high-speed conveyability, an ink jet recording mediumwound around a core in the form of a roll is preferably used because itshandling is easy. In view of convenience, the ink jet recording mediumwound around the core is preferably one having such a structure that themedium is stored in a cassette-like case and that an ink jet operatorcan easily set the medium in a delivering apparatus.

In the ink jet print system of the present invention, even when thedischarge of ink in the ink jet recording apparatus is stopped, the lineconveyance apparatus keeps working and the ink jet recording medium canbe recovered with the winding-up device for said ink jet recordingmedium without being cut into cut sheets.

Moreover, in the ink jet print system of the present invention, said inkjet recording medium can be separated and recovered with the trayapparatus after cutting with the cutter apparatus, instead of recoveringit with the winding-up and recovering device.

In the ink jet print system of the present invention, when the printingcontrol information agrees with the print data in the informationprocessing with the processing-for-printing apparatus, the ink jetrecording medium can be cut to a predetermined length which makes itpossible to obtain a desired printed image, with the cutter apparatus,instead of winding it up.

In the present invention, a sized-down small system comprising a groupof existing apparatuses such as a commercial ink jet printer can also beconstructed.

The information-detecting sensor reads the recognizable printing controlinformation of the ink jet recording medium and sends the printingcontrol information to the ink jet recording apparatus. The ink jetrecording apparatus refers to the data base information on the basis ofthe printing control information sent from the information-detectingsensor and judges the ink jet recording medium on the basis of theprinting control information to be a genuine product capable ofexhibiting the optimum performance, or an unadaptable imitation called apirated version. When the ink jet printing medium is a genuine product,the ink jet recording apparatus confirms the adaptability of the ink jetrecording medium and ink to each other, controls the conveying apparatusand the amount of ink discharged, so as to obviate print defects such asink overflow and banding, changes a print mode, and then conductsprinting.

As the image processor, a computer as a typical example is used. Theimage processor has software for preparation of image data to be sent tothe ink jet recording apparatus. A mere memory for obtaining a desiredprinted image may be used in place of the software.

The ink jet recording apparatus is equipped with a print head drivingcircuit, a conveying circuit, a circuit for the input and output ofexternal data, CPU for controlling the whole of the ink jet printingapparatus, and database information recording a suitable print modebased on the combination of ink and the ink jet recording medium. Theink jet recording apparatus further comprises a print head, a print headdriving device, a head maintenance device and the like. Ink tanks forsupplying ink to the print head or replaceable ink cartridges can beautomatically set in the ink jet recording apparatus so as to be freelyremovable.

The conveying apparatus comprises a roller unit for feeding ink jetrecording medium, a conveying and driving portion and the like, andconveys the ink jet recording medium in the form of a rolled paper at asignal from a printing and processing circuit. As a means for theconveyance and driving, any means may be used, that is, the core of theroll may be rotated or the recording medium may be sent by holding itbetween rolls or the like. In the case of ink jet printing, it isimportant to convey the recording medium so that the conveyance may besynchronized with the discharge of ink. If the discharge and theconveyance are not synchronized with each other, no optimum image can beobtained.

The information-detecting sensor reads the printing control informationof the ink jet recording medium and, for example, information about inkmost suitable for the ink jet recording medium and sheet is processed inthe ink jet recording apparatus.

CPU of the ink jet recording apparatus selects printing conditions mostsuitable for the ink jet recording medium from the database informationon the basis of information from the information-detecting sensor, andconducts printing while controlling the conveying apparatus and theamount of ink discharged from the ink nozzles.

A processing procedure in CPU of the ink jet recording apparatus havingthe above general structure is briefly explained below. Although theprinting control information previously provided in the ink jetrecording medium is not particularly limited so long as it can bedetected with the information-detecting sensor, preferably, an opticaldetecting sensor, the printing control information is preferably a codeimage for judgment after reading. The code image of the ink jetrecording medium is detected and then compared with the databaseinformation of the processing-for-printing apparatus. When the codeimage agrees with the database information, printing is conducted in aproper print mode. When the code image does not agree with the databaseinformation, printing is not conducted or a changed image can beoutputted.

At first, print data is sent to the ink jet recording apparatus from theimage processor. When the print data is sent, the printing controlinformation of the ink jet recording medium is detected with theconveying apparatus and the information-detecting sensor and processedwith the ink jet recording apparatus. CPU of the ink jet recordingapparatus compares the printing control information with that registeredin the database information, and judges whether they agree with eachother or not. When they agree with each other, CPU selects a properprint mode on the basis of the database information and conductsprinting while controlling the conveying apparatus and the amount of inkdischarged from the ink nozzles.

If it is judged by comparison that the printing control information ofthe ink jet recording medium does not agree with the printing controlinformation registered in the database information stored in the ink jetrecording apparatus, it is possible to stop ink jet printing and theconveyance of the ink jet recording medium and request a user to replacethe ink jet recording medium.

Whether the ink jet recording medium has been replaced or not is judged.When the replacement has been carried out, the above procedure isrepeated until the agreement of the printing control information. Whenthe replacement has not been carried out, printing is discontinued or animage different from a desired image is printed.

When the control described above is carried out, the printer systemselects a print mode suitable for the ink jet recording medium without auser's worry for the selection of the print mode, so that a good imagecan be obtained. When there is no suitable print mode, printing isdiscontinued or a different image is printed. Therefore, no print defectis caused.

As the recognizable cord image, well-known ones are exemplified. Therecan be used, for example, bar cords, two-dimensional cords, and cordscomposed so as to represent “1” and “2” as binary data.

The ink jet recording medium used in the ink jet print system of thepresent invention has printing control information. As described above,said printing control information includes information about brandsconcerning the kind of a substrate and the kind of an ink-receivinglayer(s) and optionally information about product order, product lot,product number and the like, and can also impart the traceability of theproduct. In addition, it is preferable that the print additionalinformation to be detected by the information-detecting sensor ispreviously registered in the database stored information. Needless tosay, said database stored information may be newly registered in orderto use the ink jet print system of the present invention.

The printing control information is preferably provided on the sidereverse to the side of said ink jet recording medium used in the ink jetprint system of the present invention on which ink jet recording is tobe conducted. When the printing control information is provided on theink jet recording side or provided on a substrate before forming an inkjet recording layer thereon, the influence of ink during ink jetrecording is serious and moreover, the detection sensitivity of theinformation-detecting sensor is decreased. Therefore, the printingcontrol information is preferably provided on the side reverse to theink jet recording side.

Said printing control information of the ink jet recording medium usedin the ink jet print system of the present invention is preferablydetected by means of visible light. When visible light is used, thisoperation can be carried out by means of indoor light without attachingspecial equipment to the information-detecting sensor. Even an ink jetprint operator can easily judge by quick visual observation whether theink jet recording medium can be used in the present invention or not.Therefore, the operator can make this judgment at least before ink jetprinting, so that quality troubles can be reduced. However, a wickedtrader can produce an inferior imitation similar to a genuine product.Accordingly, it is finally unavoidable to rely on the printing controlinformation detected in the ink jet print system of the presentinvention instead of relying on the visual observation of the ink jetprint operator.

Said printing control information of said ink jet recording medium usedin the ink jet print system of the present invention is preferablydetected by means of near infrared rays. In this case, as theinformation-detecting sensor, a sensor having a sufficient sensitivityto carry out the detection by means of near infrared rays is, of course,used. The merit of the employment of near infrared rays lies in the factthat a pattern printed as said print additional information cannot bevisually confirmed. Therefore, the printed pattern that seems unpleasantor unnecessary to a user can be processed without observation thereof bythe user.

Said printing control information of said ink jet recording medium usedin the ink jet print system of the present invention preferably emitsfluorescence. In this case, the printing control information has to beprovided on the reverse side of the ink jet recording medium. Since theink-receiving layer(s) of the ink jet recording medium usually containsa fluorescent brightener, the printing control information has to beprovided on the side reverse to the ink-receiving layer(s) side becauseotherwise it cannot be detected with the information-detecting sensor.Said printing control information emits fluorescence on irradiation withultraviolet rays, so that information can be obtained with theinformation-detecting sensor. The merit of the employment offluorescence lies in the fact that a pattern printed as said printadditional information cannot be visually confirmed. Therefore, theprinted pattern that seems unpleasant or unnecessary to a user can beprocessed without observation thereof by the user.

As to said printing control information of said ink jet recording mediumused in the ink jet print system of the present invention, a form inwhich the information is displayed is not limited to a bar cord and maybe any of designs, letters, symbols, photographs, patterns and the like.When a common logo or the like is used as said printing controlinformation, much information cannot be incorporated. In order toincorporate a larger amount of information, code information ispreferably used. The cord information is not particularly limited, anddot cords, bar cords, two-dimensional bar cords and the like can be usedas the cord information.

As the substrate of the ink jet recording medium used in the presentinvention, a substrate composed mainly of cellulose pulp is preferable.The substrate composed mainly of cellulose pulp is base paper producedby using wood pulp such as chemical pulp such as LBKP, NBKP or the like,mechanical pulp such as GP, PGW, RMP, TMP, CTMP, CMP, CGP or the like,waste paper pulp (e.g. DIP), or non-wood pulp such as kenaf, bagasse,cotton or the like as the main component; mixing the main component withone or more of various conventional additives such as pigments, binders,sizing agents, fixing agents, yield improvers, cationizing agents,strength agents, toning dyes and the like; and making the resultingmixture into paper with any of various apparatuses such as a Fourdriniermachine, cylinder paper machine, twin-wire paper machine and the like.In the above production process of the base paper, sizing press using awater-soluble polymer may be carried out with a sizing press apparatusor the like. However, a surface-sizing agent is not incorporated into asizing press liquid. The reason is that if the sizing press liquidcontains the surface-sizing agent, the surface-sizing agent is given toboth sides of the base paper, so that the high-speed absorptiveness forink in the case of a high-speed printer is deteriorated. Anink-receiving layer(s) may be formed on such base paper in an untreatedstate, or a calendering apparatus such as a machine calender, TGcalender, soft calender or the like may be used in order to controlflattening.

The thickness of the substrate used in the present invention ispreferably adjusted to 100 μm or more in view of conveyability at thetime of high-speed printing with the ink jet printer apparatus. It ispreferable to adjust the thickness of the ink jet recording medium to120 μm or more by forming an ink-receiving layer(s) on one side of thesubstrate and printing the printing control information on the otherside. When the ink jet recording medium is too thin, its conveyablilityin the ink jet printer apparatus is low. Although there is no particularupper limit of the thickness of the ink jet recording medium, athickness of more than 500 μm is undesirable in some cases because sucha thickness results in a high rigidity, a very low conveyability in theink jet recording apparatus and difficult control of printing.

As the ink jet recording medium used in the present invention, agenerally used recording medium such as plain paper, paper for exclusiveuse for ink jet recording, glossy paper, a glossy film, a postcard, aback-print film, a sheet for OHP or the like can be used by previouslyrecording an optically recognizable cord image on the reverse side ofthe generally used recording medium by the use of a common dye, commonpigment, near-infrared dye or near-infrared absorber.

In the present invention, a surface-sizing agent may be given to oneside or both sides of the substrate. As the surface-sizing agent, thereare exemplified surface-sizing agents composed mainly of astyrene-acrylic acid copolymer, a styrene-methacrylic acid copolymer, anacrylonitrile-vinyl formal-acrylic ester copolymer, a styrene-meleicacid copolymer, an olefin-meleic acid copolymer or an alkylketene dimmer(AKD). The main component is preferably a styrene-acrylic acidcopolymer, a styrene-methacrylic acid copolymer or a styrene-meleic acidcopolymer. The above-exemplified copolymers or dimer can be used singlyor in admixture with any of starch derivatives such as oxidized starch,etherified starch, phosphoric-esterified starch and the like; cellulosederivatives such as carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose andthe like; and water-soluble polymers such as casein, gelatin, soybeanprotein, poly(vinyl alcohol)s, poly(vinylpyrrolidone)s, maleic anhydrideresins and the like.

In the present invention, as an apparatus for applying a coatingsolution containing the surface-sizing agent, there are exemplifiedvarious apparatuses such as various blade coaters, roll coaters,air-knife coaters, bar coaters, rod blade coaters, curtain coaters,short-dwell coaters and the like.

In the present invention, the coating amount of the surface-sizing agentranges from 0.05 g/m² to 5.0 g/m² in terms of dry solids. It ispreferably 0.1 g/m² to 0.3 g/m². When the coating amount of thesurface-sizing agent is below the above range, a pattern is liable to bedeteriorated depending on the speed of printing, during printing of theprinting control information. When the coating amount of thesurface-sizing agent is above the above range, the absorptiveness forprinting ink is deteriorated during printing of the printing controlinformation, so that a problem such as ink transfer is caused.

As the substrate used in the present invention, a substrate having aweight of 100 to 300 g/m² is usually used. If necessary, one side orboth sides of the substrate may be coated with a resin. A polyolefinresin used for coating the substrate can be selected from polyethylenes,homopolymers of an α-olefin (e.g. propylene), copolymers of two or moreof such olefins, and mixtures of two or more of these various polymers.Especially preferable examples of the polyolefin resin are low-densitypolyethylenes, high-density polyethylenes and mixtures thereof. Althoughthe molecular weight of the polyolefin resin is not particularlylimited, a polyolefin resin having a molecular weight in the range of20,000 to 200,000 is usually used. In general, each coating layer isformed on the substrate in a weight of 10 to 40 g/m².

It has already been known that a white pigment, a color pigment, afluorescent brightener and an antioxidant are added to a polyolefinresin used in a resin coating layer. That is, also in the presentinvention, these additives may be incorporated into the polyolefin resincoating layer on the right side of the substrate which is formed on theink-receiving layer.

The ink-receiving layer(s) in the present invention is a porous coatcontaining a pigment(s) and a binder.

In the present invention, as the pigment(s) used in the ink-receivinglayer(s), one or more well-known white pigments can be used. There canbe used, for example, white inorganic pigments such as light calciumcarbonate, heavy calcium carbonate, kaolin, talc, calcium sulfate,barium sulfate, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, zinc sulfide, zinccarbonate, satin white, aluminum silicate, diatomaceous earth, calciumsilicate, magnesium silicate, synthetic amorphous silica, colloidalsilica, colloidal alumina, pseudo-boehmite, aluminum hydroxide, alumina,lithopone, zeolite, hydrated halloysite, magnesium carbonate, magnesiumhydroxide, etc.; and organic pigments such as styrene plastic pigments,acrylic plastic pigments, polyethylenes, microcapsules, urea resins,melamine resins, etc. Of the pigments exemplified above, porousinorganic pigments such as porous synthetic amorphous silica, porousmagnesium carbonate, porous alumina and the like are preferable. Poroussynthetic amorphous silica having a large capacity of pore is especiallypreferable.

The binder used in the ink-receiving layer(s) in the present inventionincludes, for example, starch derivatives such as oxidized starch,etherified starch, phosphoric-esterified starch, etc.; cellulosederivatives such as carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose,etc.; casein, gelatin, soybean protein, poly(vinyl alcohol)s,poly(vinylpyrrolidone)s, maleic anhydride resins, latices of conjugateddiene type copolymers (e.g. styrene-butadiene copolymers and methylmethacrylate-butadiene copolymers); latices of acrylic polymers such aspolymers or copolymers of acrylic esters and methacrylic esters; laticesof vinyl copolymers such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers; laticesof functional group-modified polymers obtained by modifying any of theabove various polymers by the use of a monomer containing the functionalgroup such as carboxyl group; aqueous binders of, for example,thermosetting synthetic resins such as melamine resins and urea resins;latices of polymer or copolymer resins of acrylic or methacrylic esterssuch as poly(methyl methacrylate)s; polyurethane resins, unsaturatedpolyester resins, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymers, poly(vinylbutyral)s, and alkyd resin latices.

In addition, when the ink jet recording medium is used in an ink jetrecording method using also dye ink, the ink-receiving layer(s)preferably contains a cationic compound(s) besides the componentsdescribed above. Furthermore, the ink-receiving layer(s) may properlycontain other additives such as pigment dispersants, thickening agents,fluidity improvers, surfactants, defoaming agents, foam-inhibitors, moldrelease agents, foaming agents, penetrating agents, color dyes, colorpigments, fluorescent brighteners, ultraviolet absorbers, antioxidants,antiseptics, mildew-proofing agents, water-proofing agents, wet strengthagents, dry strength agents, etc.

The cationic compound(s) used in the present invention is a so-calleddye-fixing agent containing a secondary or tertiary amine or aquaternary ammonium salt, which forms an insoluble salt with thesulfonic acid group, carboxyl group, amino group or the like of awater-soluble direct dye or water-soluble acid dye contained inwater-color dye ink. As the cationic compound(s), either a singlecompound or a combination of two or more compounds may be used. Thecationic compound(s) may be properly added to the ink-receiving layeradjacent to the substrate.

In the present invention, the total number and structure of theink-receiving layer(s) formed on the substrate are not particularlylimited. That is, two or more layers can be formed on one side of thesubstrate as the ink-receiving layers.

The coating amount of the ink-receiving layer(s) is preferablydetermined on the basis of the volume of ink absorbed by theink-receiving layer(s) and bond strength between the ink-receivinglayer(s) and the substrate which is sufficient in practice. The drycoating amount of the ink-receiving layer(s) ranges preferably from 5 to40 g/m². When the dry coating amount is less than 5 g/m², it isdifficult for the ink-receiving layer(s) to cover the substrate surfacecompletely, so that the absorptiveness for ink is insufficient.Therefore, the non-uniformity of the absorption and the like are caused,resulting in an undesirable influence on the ink jet printingcapability. On the other hand, when the dry coating amount is more than40 g/m², the bond strength between the ink-receiving layer(s) and thesubstrate becomes insufficient in practice, so that there is undesirablycaused, for example, peeling of the coating layer(s) from the substratewhich is called “powder exfoliation”.

In the present invention, as an apparatus for coating or impregnationwith a coating composition for forming the ink-receiving layer(s),various apparatuses such as various blade coaters, roll coaters,air-knife coaters, bar coaters, rod blade coaters, curtain coaters,short-dwell coaters and the like can be used in on-machine oroff-machine coating.

As to a process for producing an ink jet recording sheet in the presentinvention, the ink-receiving layer(s) is formed on the substrate and thesubstrate having the ink-receiving layer(s) formed thereon may be usedas it is as the ink jet recording sheet without surface treatment, ormay be subjected to after-treatment comprising control of its surfaceroughness with any of various calenders. Specific examples of theaforesaid calendars are an embossing calender, machine calender, TGcalender, supercalender, soft calender and the like. The aforesaidcalendars are not limited thereto and may be properly selected dependingon a material related to the surface structure of the sheet.

In the present invention, although the printing control information ispreferably provided on the surface of the substrate which is reverse tothe ink-receiving layer(s) side, it may be printed on the surface ofsubstrate under the ink-receiving layer(s) so long as the printingcontrol information is made readable with the information-detectingsensor by controlling the transparency of the ink-receiving layer(s). Inaddition, a resin coating layer is preferably formed on the printingcontrol information after printing the printing control information onthe substrate because the surface of the ink jet recording medium isworn away in some cases during the travel of the recording medium in theapparatuses in the ink jet recording system, so that wrong operation isliable to be caused in the information-detecting sensor. The printingcontrol information in the present invention can be printed by awell-known technique. For example, a gravure printing method, offsetprinting method, thermal transfer method, ink jet method, silk screenprinting method, letterpress printing method, electrophotographicmethod, intaglio printing method and the like can be adopted.

As the common dye and common pigment used in printing ink for theprinting control information in the present invention, well-known dyesand pigments can be used.

As the near-infrared dye and near-infrared absorber used in thisprinting ink, there can be used well-known near-infrared dyes andnear-infrared absorbers, which have a function of selectively absorbingnear infrared rays (infrared rays having a wavelength of approximately800 nm to 2500 nm), i.e., infrared rays in a region near the visibleregion and have recently been used in an optical character recognitionapparatus (OCR), the sensitization portion of an electrophotographicprinter, or a coating film for optical disk. There can be exemplifiedaluminum salts such as NIR-AM1, NIR-AM3 and NIR-AM4 (mfd. by NagaseChemtex Co., Ltd.), aluminum compounds such as IRG-002 and IRG-003 anddiimonium compounds such as IRG-022 and IRG-023 (mfd. by Nippon KayakuCo., Ltd.).

In the present invention, a dye capable of absorbing light in awavelength range of 750 to 1100 nm is used. Although not limited,suitable examples of the dye are oxonol, squarylium,chalcogenopyrylarylidene, bis(chalcogenopyrylo)polymethine,bis(aminoaryl)polymethine, merocyanine, trinuclear cyanine,indene-crosslinked polymethine, oxyindolidine, iron complexes, quinoids,nickel-dithiolene complex, and cyanine dyes (carbocyanine,azacarbocyanine, hemicyanine, styryl, diazacarbocyanine,triazacarbocyanine, diazahemicyanine, polymethinecyanine,azapolymethinecyanine, Holopolar, indocyanine and diazahemicyaninedyes). The role of the near-infrared dye is to convert near-infrared rayelectromagnetic waves to heat, and any near-infrared dye well known inthe art may be used.

The ink for printing in the present invention contains the near-infrareddye and the near-infrared absorber, and as the dye and the absorber, adye and/or an absorber can be used which have a sensitivity satisfyingthe demand of the information-detecting sensor. The concentration of thedye in the ink may be low because the print density of the ink jetrecording medium may be such that the printing control information canbe recognized, as described above.

In the present invention, in order to make possible the visualobservation of a pattern on the reverse side, the following can be usedin the printing ink used in the present invention: coloring componentssuch as black pigments (e.g. carbon black), white pigments (e.g.titanium oxide), blue pigments (e.g. copper phthalocyanine), andpigments and/or dyes, which can give a hue satisfying the demand of auser. The concentration of the pigment in the ink may be low because thecoloring density of a printed image on the ink jet recording medium maybe such that the printed image can be recognized.

As a resin incorporated into the ink, cellulose derivatives, shellacresins and the like are usually used. The amount of this resin added mayalso be small as in the case of the pigment when the print density islow.

Although said ink jet recording medium may be in the form of sheets, aroll obtained by winding rolled paper around a core is preferable fromthe viewpoint of conveyance and the efficiency of paper feed. It ispreferable that a means for making printing impossible in said ink jetrecording apparatus stops the conveying and driving apparatus. The meansfor making printing impossible in said ink jet recording apparatuspreferably prevents interlocking of the conveying and driving apparatuswith image formation using ink jet nozzles. The means for makingprinting impossible in said ink jet recording apparatus preferably stopsthe discharge of ink. The means for making printing impossible in saidink jet recording apparatus preferably changes the amount of inkdischarged, to form an image different from a desired image.

The previously recognizable image on the reverse side of said ink jetrecording medium is preferably recognizable by means of visible light ornear infrared rays. The previously recognizable image on the reverseside of said ink jet recording medium is preferably an image that emitsfluorescence. The previously recognizable image on the reverse side ofsaid ink jet recording medium is preferably a cord image. A logo printis better than the cord image because of its easier recognition butholds a smaller amount of information than does the cord image.Particularly when the amount of information is small, the employment ofthe logo print is more effective. When the amount of information islarge, the cord image is preferably used. When the ink jet recordingmedium is a rolled paper, it is more preferable to cut the recordingmedium subjected to normal printing, to a proper length instead ofwinding up this recording medium.

EXAMPLES 1 TO 6

The present invention is explained below in detail with reference tospecific examples.

As ink jet recording media to be evaluated, ink jet recording medium Ais a plain-paper type medium having no coating layer (150 g/m², 160 μm),ink jet recording medium B is paper for exclusive use for ink jetrecording which has a coating layer (160 g/m², 165 μm) and ink jetrecording medium C is resin-coated paper (220 g/m², 225 μm). Each ofthese ink jet recording media is genuine exclusive paper recommended bya maker. Therefore, genuine ink jet recording ink recommended by themaker is used which gives the optimum printed image.

Ink jet recording media D and E are ink jet recording papers having acoating layer but are not recommended by the maker. As these recordingmedia, imitations called pirated versions which are similar to ink jetrecording medium B are used by obtaining them in the market. Theseimitations are defective products which have already been returned owingto users' claim from a store specializing in ink jet print because ofserious ink overflow and banding.

Using the five kinds of the ink jet recording media described above,rolled papers are prepared by winding each recording medium around acore (76 mmφ×150 mm (width)) to a width of 150 mm and a length of 1000mm.

A logo and a cord image are printed on the reverse side of each of inkjet recording media A to C and E with a gravure printing machine bypreparing the ink described hereinafter. Ink jet recording medium D isused as it is without printing thereon printing control information. Inaddition, printing control information adjusted so as to give theoptimum printed image is printed on each of ink jet recording media A toC by the use of the genuine ink jet recording ink recommended by themaker. However, on ink jet recording medium E, the same printing controlinformation as in the case of ink jet recording medium B is printedexcept for peculiar cord information indicating a genuine product.

Ink jet recording medium C is produced as follows. The right surface ofa paper substrate is subjected to melt extrusion coating with titaniumoxide in an amount of 10% by weight and a low-density polyethylene in anamount of 90% by weight. In addition, the reverse side of the papersubstrate is subjected to gravure printing. Then, the thus treated papersubstrate is coated with a resin by a melt extrusion coating method. Onthe resulting resin-coated paper, an ink-receiving layer comprisingamorphous silica is formed to produce the ink jet recording medium.

[Ink for Printing a Logo]

Ink for printing control information is prepared by the use of coloringcomponents such as a black pigment (e.g. carbon black), a white pigment(e.g. titanium oxide) or a blue pigment (e.g. copper phthalocyanine),and a pigment and/or dye, which can give a hue satisfying the demand ofa user. As a resin incorporated into the ink, a cellulose derivative, ashellac resin or the like is used. As to the coloring density of aprinted image on the ink jet recording medium, the pigment concentrationand resin concentration in the ink are adjusted so that theinformation-detecting sensor can recognize the printed image.

[Ink for Printing a Cord Image]

Ink for printing a cord image is prepared in the same manner as in thecase of the aforesaid printing ink, except for mixing a far-infrared dyeor a fluorescent brightener with the above-mentioned resin and omittingthe coloring components such as pigments and dyes.

Ink jet recording medium D is used as it is as an ink jet recordingmedium having no printing control information printed thereon. Each ofink jet recording media A to C and E having the printing controlinformation printed thereon is accommodated in a cartridge in the formof a rolled paper.

As the printing control information, a logo is printed on ink jetrecording medium A, a cord image is printed on ink jet recording mediumB by the use of the far-infrared dye, and a cord image is printed on inkjet recording medium C by the use of the fluorescent brightener.

The printing control information printed as the logo or the cord imageis information that permits recognition of each of the above-mentionedink jet recording media A to C as a genuine product, and permits theoptimum matching of ink jet recording ink with the recording medium togive a printed image in the optimum state.

In addition, although ink jet recording medium E is an imitation, thesame cord image as in the case of ink jet recording medium B, a genuineproduct is printed on ink jet recording medium E. As described above,ink jet recording medium E is an article which can give only an inferiorprinted image and against which a user has made a claim. Ink jetrecording medium E has the printing control information printed thereonthough it does not well match with this information as an ink jetrecording medium.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the whole structure of a print systemaccording to an embodiment of the present invention. Aprocessing-for-printing apparatus 2 controls a conveying apparatus 3 andan ink jet recording apparatus 4 on the basis of print information sentfrom an image processor 1 and the printing control information c of anink jet recording medium 6 sent from an information-detecting sensor 5,and prints an image on the ink jet recording medium 6.

EXAMPLE 1

A cartridge charged with each of ink jet recording media A to E as theink jet recording medium 6 is set in a feeder, and the conveyingapparatus 3 and the ink jet recording apparatus 4 are controlled on thebasis of the printing control information and the print information sentfrom the image processor 1 without using the information detectingsensor 5 and internal database information stored in theprocessing-for-printing apparatus 2, whereby an image is printed on theink jet recording medium 6.

As genuine products, ink jet recording media A to C treated as above andcomposed of an ink jet recording medium and ink jet recording ink iscontrolled on the basis of the printing control information, and each ofthem can exhibit its optimum performance in the formation of a printedimage. However, although ink jet recording medium E, an imitation hasthe printing control information, it cannot exhibit its optimumperformance because the printing control information does not match withthis recording medium, so that ink jet printing is not conducted underthe optimum conditions. Needless to say, no satisfactory image can beobtained, resulting in somewhat remarkable ink overflow and banding. Inaddition, in the case of ink jet recording medium D having no printingcontrol information, serious ink flow and banding are caused, and, forexample, the roll in the conveying apparatus is stained with undried inkjet recording ink. Therefore, the ink jet recording medium becomesuseless in practice and moreover, cleaning in the conveying apparatusbecomes necessary, resulting in a troublesome work. This cleaningrequires a very long time, so that the ink jet print system is stoppedfor a long period of time until starting of the system, resulting in aremarkably lowered working efficiency.

EXAMPLE 2

Using the information-detecting sensor 5, the following controlconditions (1) and (2) are continuously imposed on the system so thateach of them may affect 500 m of the ink jet recording medium 6 when noprinting control information is present. Each of ink jet recording mediaA to E is charged into a cartridge as the ink jet recording medium 6 andset in a feeder, and a command to start printing of an image is given toeach of ink jet recording media A to E.

(1) The discharge of ink from the nozzles of the ink jet recordingapparatus is stopped.

(2) The conveying and driving apparatus is stopped.

As a genuine product, each of ink jet recording media A to C gives adesired printed image without the stop of the discharge of ink from thenozzles of the ink jet recording apparatus and the stop of the conveyingand driving apparatus.

However, in the case of ink jet recording media D and E, imitations,about 500 m of each recording medium is conveyed in an unprinted stateand then the conveying and driving apparatus stops, so that printingbecomes impossible. The reason is as follows: ink jet recording medium Dhas no printing control information, and ink jet recording medium E hasthe printing control information printed thereon but has no peculiarcord information indicating a genuine product, so that it is recognizedas an imitation.

EXAMPLE 3

When no printing control information is present, the following controlconditions (1) to (4) are continuously imposed on the system so thateach of them may affect about 250 m of the ink jet recording medium 6and that the ink jet recording apparatus and the conveying and drivingapparatus may not be interlocked with each other. Each of ink jetrecording media A to E is charged into a cartridge as the ink jetrecording medium 6 and set in a feeder, and an attempt is made to printan image on each of ink jet recording media A to E.

(1) The amount of ink discharged in the ink jet recording apparatus iscontrolled at 25% of the optimum amount.

(2) The amount of ink discharged in the ink jet recording apparatus iscontrolled at 150% of the optimum amount.

(3) The conveying speed of the conveying and driving apparatus iscontrolled at a low speed of 0.5 time the optimum speed.

(4) The conveying speed of the conveying and driving apparatus iscontrolled at a high speed of 1.5 times the optimum speed.

Ink jet recording media A to C, genuine products having the printingcontrol information can give a desired image without the variation ofthe amount of ink discharged in the ink jet recording apparatus and theconveying speed of the conveying and driving apparatus.

However, under the control conditions (1) and (4), both ink jetrecording media D and E give a wholly light image because of a lowcoloring density, resulting in loss of the commercial value. Under thecontrol condition (4), the coloring density is low and moreover, animage stretched in a conveying direction different from that based onimage data is outputted. The reason for these facts is as follows: inkjet recording medium D has no printing control information, and ink jetrecording medium E has the printing control information printed thereonbut has no peculiar cord information indicating a genuine product, sothat it is recognized as an imitation.

Under the control conditions (2) and (3), ink overflow is caused in thecase of ink jet recording medium E, an imitation, and very serious inkoverflow and banding are caused in the case of ink jet recording mediumD, an imitation, so that, for example, the roll in the conveyingapparatus is stained with undried ink jet recording ink. With respectalso to the ink jet print system, the ink jet recording medium isstained to lose its utility, and moreover, the maintenance such ascleaning of the roll of the conveying and drying apparatus in the systembecomes necessary, resulting in insufficient working efficiency andeconomical benefit. Under the control condition (3), the coloringdensity is low and moreover, an image shrunk in a conveying directiondifferent from that based on image data is outputted.

EXAMPLE 4

The following control conditions (1) and (2) are continuously imposed onthe system so that each of them may affect 500 m of the ink jetrecording medium 6, after the comparison of the printing controlinformation obtained from the information-detecting sensor 5 with theinternal database information stored in the processing-for-printingapparatus 2.

(1) The discharge of ink from the nozzles of the ink jet recordingapparatus is stopped.

(2) The conveying and driving apparatus is stopped.

Each of the following ink jet recording media is charged into acartridge as the ink jet recording medium 6 and set in a feeder, and acommand to start printing of an image is given thereto: ink jetrecording medium A having the logo printing control information, ink jetrecording medium B having the printing control information given by theuse of the far-infrared dye, ink jet recording medium C having theprinting control information given by the use of the fluorescentbrightener, ink jet recording medium D having no printing controlinformation printed thereon, and ink jet recording medium E having theprinting control information printed thereon which does not well matchwith the ink jet recording medium.

In the case of ink jet recording media A to C, genuine products, theprinting control information agrees with the database information, sothat each of these recording media can be made into an ink jet recordingmedium having the best image, without the stop of the discharge of inkfrom the nozzles of the ink jet recording apparatus and the stop of theconveying and driving apparatus. However, in the case of ink jetrecording medium D having no printing control information printedthereon (an imitation) and ink jet recording medium E having theprinting control information printed thereon which does not well matchwith the recording medium itself, about 500 m of each recording mediumcontinues to be in an unprinted state and the conveying and drivingapparatus stops.

EXAMPLE 5

When the printing control information obtained from theinformation-detecting sensor 5 is compared with the internal databaseinformation stored in the processing-for-printing apparatus 2 and isfound to be not in agreement therewith, the following control conditions(1) to (4) are continuously imposed on the system so that each of themmay affect about 250 m of the ink jet recording medium 6 and that theink jet recording apparatus and the conveying and driving apparatus maynot be interlocked with each other. Each of ink jet recording media A toE is charged into a cartridge as the ink jet recording medium 6 and setin a feeder, and a command to start printing of an image is given toeach of ink jet recording media A to E.

(1) The amount of ink discharged in the ink jet recording apparatus iscontrolled at 25% of the optimum amount.

(2) The amount of ink discharged in the ink jet recording apparatus iscontrolled at 150% of the optimum amount.

(3) The conveying speed of the conveying and driving apparatus iscontrolled at a low speed of 0.5 time the optimum speed.

(4) The conveying speed of the conveying and driving apparatus iscontrolled at a high speed of 1.5 times the optimum speed.

In the case of ink jet recording media A to C, genuine products, theprinting control information agrees with the database information, sothat each of these recording media can give the best printed imagewithout the variation of the amount of ink discharged in the ink jetrecording apparatus and the conveying speed of the conveying and drivingapparatus.

However, in the case of the imitations, i.e., ink jet recording medium Dhaving no printing control information and ink jet recording medium Ehaving the printing control information printed thereon which does notwell match with the recording medium itself, they give a wholly lightimage because of a low coloring density, resulting in loss of thecommercial value, under the control conditions (1) and (4). Under thecontrol condition (4), the coloring density is low and moreover, animage stretched in a conveying direction different from that based onimage data is outputted.

Under the control conditions (2) and (3), ink overflow is caused in thecase of ink jet recording medium E, an imitation, and very serious inkoverflow and banding are caused in the case of ink jet recording mediumD, an imitation, so that, for example, the roll in the conveyingapparatus is stained with undried ink jet recording ink. With respectalso to the ink jet print system, the ink jet recording medium isstained to lose its utility, and moreover, the maintenance such ascleaning of the roll of the conveying apparatus in the system becomesnecessary, resulting in insufficient economical benefit. Under thecontrol condition (3), the coloring density is low and moreover, animage shrunk in a conveying direction different from that based on imagedata is outputted.

EXAMPLE 6

The following control conditions (1) to (3) are continuously imposed onthe system so that each of them may affect 300 m of the ink jetrecording medium 6, when the printing control information obtained fromthe information-detecting sensor 5 is compared with the internaldatabase information stored in the processing-for-printing apparatus 2and is found to be not in agreement therewith.

(1) The conveying apparatus is kept driven and the discharge of ink fromthe nozzles of the ink jet recording apparatus is stopped, followed bycutting to a predetermined length with the cutter apparatus. Inaddition, the resulting sheets are separated with the tray apparatus.

(2) The conveying apparatus is kept driven and the discharge of ink fromthe nozzles of the ink jet recording apparatus is stopped, followed byrecovery in a roundabout way with the roll-recovering apparatus insteadof use of the cutter apparatus.

(3) The conveying and driving apparatus is stopped.

Each of the following ink jet recording media is charged into acartridge as the ink jet recording medium 6 and set in a feeder, and acommand to start printing of an image is given thereto: ink jetrecording medium A having the logo printing control information, ink jetrecording medium B having the printing control information given by theuse of the far-infrared dye, and ink jet recording medium C having theprinting control information given by the use of the fluorescentbrightener, which are genuine products; and ink jet recording medium Dhaving no printing control information and ink jet recording medium Ehaving the printing control information printed thereon which does notwell match with the ink jet recording medium itself, which areimitations.

In the case of ink jet recording media A to C, genuine products, theprinting control information agrees with the database information, andeach of these recording media is cut to a predetermined length to give aprint having the best printed image, without the stop of the dischargeof ink and the stop of the conveying and driving apparatus.

However, in the case of ink jet recording medium D having no printingcontrol information (an imitation) and ink jet recording medium E havingthe printing control information printed thereon which does not wellmatch with the ink jet recording medium, about 300 m of unprintedrecording medium is cut to a predetermined length by the cutterapparatus, about 300 m of unprinted recording medium is recovered by theroll-recovering apparatus, and the conveying and driving apparatus stopsat a total length of about 600 m.

EXAMPLES 7 TO 15 AND COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 1

The present invention is explained below in further detail.

Examples of the present invention are explained below but they are notintended in any way to limit the scope of the invention.

A substrate used in the examples is produced as follows. A mixtureconsisting of 80% by weight of hardwood kraft pulp and 20% by weight ofhardwood sulfite pulp as natural pulps is beaten to 280 ml in terms ofCanadian standard freeness (JIS P-8121) to prepare a pulp slurry. To thepulp slurry are added as strength agents an amphoteric polyacrylamidewith a molecular weight of 800,000 in an amount of 1.0% by weight basedon the weight of the pulps, an alkylketene dimer in an amount of 0.01 to0.8% by weight based on the weight of the pulps, and apolyamide•polyamine•epichlorohydrin resin in an amount of 1.0% by weightbased on the weight of the pulps. The resulting mixture is diluted withwater so as to give a 1% slurry. This slurry is made into paper having abasis weight of 120 g/m², with a Fourdrinier machine, and a 2.0% byweight aqueous polyvinyl alcohol solution is applied on the paper with asize press to obtain a substrate for ink jet recording medium. Inaddition, this substrate is calendered.

EXAMPLE 7

The components for preparing printing ink are prepared so as to have thefollowing compositions. The percentages described below are by weight interms of solids. In the case of printing control informationdistinguishable by means of visible light, the printing controlinformation is provided on the surface of the substrate by gravureprinting by using a liquid consisting of the following ink and diluentin a weight ratio of 1:4:ink containing 1.0% by weight of carbon blackas a pigment, 5.0% by weight of nitrocellulose as a resin, 50.0% byweight of ethanol as a solvent for the resin, 27.0% by weight ofisopropanol and 17.0% by weight of ethyl acetate; and a mixed organicsolvent used as a diluent for the ink and composed of threeconstituents, i.e., an alcohol, an acetic acid ester and a glycol ether.

As to the gravure printing, the logo pattern of a gravure roll having acell depth of 20 μm is printed with a gravure printing machine.

An ink-receiving layer is formed by applying a coating solution havingthe following composition, on the substrate surface reverse to thesurface on which the printing control information has been provided,with an air-knife coater so that the dry coating amount may be 15 g/m²,and drying the coating solution. Thus, an ink jet recording medium ofExample 7 is produced.

(Coating Solution for the Ink-Receiving Layer) Pseudo-boehmite powder 15 parts Polyvinyl alcohol  2 parts Water 100 parts

EXAMPLE 8

Printing control information is provided in the same manner as inExample 7. In addition, after a drying step, the printing side issubjected to corona discharge treatment, and then coated with a mixtureconsisting of 50% by weight of a high-density polyethylene and 50% byweight of a low-density polyethylene, by melt extrusion coating so thatthe coating amount may be 20 g/m². Then, in the same manner as inExample 7, an ink-receiving layer is formed on the substrate surfacereverse to the surface on which the printing control information hasbeen provided, to produce an ink jet recording medium of Example 8.

EXAMPLE 9

Printing control information is provided in the same manner as inExample 7. In addition, after a drying step, a polypropylene film of 20μm in thickness is attached to the printing side with an adhesive. Then,in the same manner as in Example 7, an ink-receiving layer is formed onthe substrate surface reverse to the surface on which the printingcontrol information has been provided, to produce an ink jet recordingmedium of Example 9.

EXAMPLE 10

An ink jet recording medium of Example 10 is produced in the same manneras in Example 8 except for carrying out gravure printing of a cord imageon the surface of the substrate.

EXAMPLE 11

An ink jet recording medium of Example 11 is produced in the same manneras in Example 8 except for carrying out gravure printing of a dot imageon the surface of the substrate.

EXAMPLE 12

An ink jet recording medium of Example 12 is produced in the same manneras in Example 9 except for carrying out gravure printing of a cord imageon the surface of the substrate.

EXAMPLE 13

An ink jet recording medium of Example 13 is produced in the same manneras in Example 9 except for carrying out gravure printing of a dot imageon the surface of the substrate.

EXAMPLE 14

An ink jet recording medium of Example 14 is produced in the same manneras in Example 10 except for using a fluorescent dye in an amount of 0.5%by weight in place of carbon black used as a pigment in an amount of1.0% by weight in the component for preparing the printing ink, in orderto facilitate confirmation by exposure to ultraviolet light.

EXAMPLE 15

An ink jet recording medium of Example 15 is produced in the same manneras in Example 10 except for using a nickel complex type dye, anear-infrared dye, in an amount of 0.1% by weight in place of carbonblack used as a pigment in an amount of 1.0% by weight in the componentfor preparing the printing ink.

COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 1

An ink jet recording medium of Comparative Example 1 is produced in thesame manner as in Example 7 except for providing no printing controlinformation.

(Adjustment of the Ink Jet Recording Apparatus)

An information-detecting sensor capable of reading printing controlinformation is located short of the ink nozzles, and databaseinformation regarding output information and the printing controlinformation is incorporated into the ink jet recording apparatus. Theprinting control information is a pattern formed by each of logoprinting, bar cord image printing and dot image printing, and isdesigned to be detectable with the information-detecting sensor and tobe reflected in the ink jet recording apparatus. The printing controlinformation is designed to be incorporated with the following fivecontrol commands.

(Printing-Control Commands)

(1) When no printing control information is present, the whole ink jetrecording apparatus stops.

(2) When the database information and the printing control informationdo not agree with each other, the discharge of ink from the ink nozzlesof the ink jet recording apparatus stops and the conveying apparatusalso stops.

(3) When the database information and the printing control informationdo not agree with each other, the discharge of ink from the ink nozzlesof the ink jet recording apparatus stops, but the conveying apparatuskeeps working to discharge an ink jet recording medium in an unprintedstate from the ink jet recording apparatus.

(4) When the database information and the printing control informationdo not agree with each other, the driving speed of the driving apparatusis kept at the optimum speed and the amount of ink discharged from theink nozzles of the ink jet recording apparatus is made 20% smaller thanthe optimum amount.

(5) When the database information and the printing control informationdo not agree with each other, the driving speed of the driving apparatusis made 20% higher than the optimum speed and the amount of inkdischarged from the ink nozzles of the ink jet recording apparatus iskept at the optimum amount.

Using the above-mentioned ink jet recording media of Examples 7 to 15and ink jet recording medium of Comparative Example 1, a printing testwas carried out with the ink jet recording apparatus under each of theconditions described above as the printing-control commands 1 to 5.

All of the ink jet recording media of Examples 7 to 15 corresponding togenuine products have no particular defect and can give an image byexhibition of the optimum performance of each ink jet recording medium.However, with the ink jet recording medium of Comparative Example 1corresponding to an imitation, but not the product of the presentinvention, the whole ink jet recording apparatus stops in the case ofthe printing-control command (1). In addition, in the case of theprinting-control command (2), the discharge of ink from the ink nozzlesstops and the conveying apparatus also stops, and hence printing isimpossible. In the case of the printing-control command (3), thedischarge of ink from the ink nozzles stops but the conveying apparatusworks, and hence unprinted ink jet recording medium having no image isdischarged. Moreover, in the case of the printing-control command (4),no optimum image can be obtained and only an image having a low densityas a whole can be obtained. Furthermore, in the case of theprinting-control command (5), ink jet recording medium of no practicaluse is obtained which has a changed image with a low density.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The embodiments described above are examples for explaining the presentinvention, but they are not intended in any way to limit the scope ofthe invention and various changes and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the gist of the invention. For example, as the imageprocessor, a common personal computer may be utilized which is notprovided in an ink jet printer or is a small-scale system.

1. An ink jet print system in which an ink jet recording mediumpreviously having printing control information is continuously drivenwith a conveying apparatus, and print data is continuously processedwith an ink jet recording apparatus set in the middle of a conveyancepathway, to output a printed image.
 2. An ink jet print system accordingto claim 1, wherein the printing control information involvesinformation of various kinds about the kind of ink most suitable for theink jet recording medium, the kind of a substrate and the kind of anink-receiving layer(s), and at least one item of information forcontrolling a conveying and driving apparatus, an ink jet recordingapparatus, and a discharging apparatus for ink nozzles in the recordingapparatus, a cutter apparatus, a tray apparatus and the like, whichinformation is for controlling a series of the apparatuses of the inkjet print system on the basis of the above-mentioned information ofvarious kinds.
 3. An ink jet print system according to claim 2, whereinan information-detecting sensor is located short of said ink jetrecording apparatus in the conveyance pathway, and the driving apparatusstops when the printing control information is not detected in said inkjet recording medium.
 4. An ink jet print system according to claim 2,wherein an information-detecting sensor is located short of said ink jetrecording apparatus in the conveyance pathway, and an image differentfrom that based on image data is output so as not to permit formation ofa desired image, without interlocking said ink jet recording apparatuswith the conveying apparatus, when the printing control information isnot detected in said ink jet recording medium.
 5. An ink jet printsystem according to claim 2, wherein an information-detecting sensor islocated short of said ink jet recording apparatus in the conveyancepathway, and the discharge of ink in said ink jet recording apparatus isstopped to output no printed image when the printing control informationis not detected in said ink jet recording medium.
 6. An ink jet printsystem according to claim 2, wherein an information-detecting sensor islocated short of said ink jet recording apparatus in the conveyancepathway; information related to the printing control information of saidink jet recording medium is stored in the system as database informationand compared with the printing control information of said ink jetrecording medium obtained from the information detecting sensor; andsaid ink jet recording medium is cut to a predetermined length with acutter apparatus to conduct finishing when the printing controlinformation of the ink jet recording medium agrees with the databaseinformation in the system.
 7. An ink jet print system according to claim3, wherein information related to the printing control information ofsaid ink jet recording medium is stored in the system as databaseinformation and compared with the printing control information of saidink jet recording medium obtained from the information-detecting sensor,and the conveying and driving apparatus stops when the printing controlinformation does not agree with the database information.
 8. An ink jetprint system according to claim 4, wherein information related to theprinting control information of said ink jet recording medium is storedin the system as database information and compared with the printingcontrol information of said ink jet recording medium obtained from theinformation-detecting sensor, and an image different from that based onimage data is outputted so as not to permit formation of a desiredimage, without interlocking said ink jet recording apparatus with theconveying apparatus, when the printing control information does notagree with the database information.
 9. An ink jet print systemaccording to claim 5, wherein information related to the printingcontrol information of said ink jet recording medium is stored in thesystem as database information and compared with the printing controlinformation of said ink jet recording medium obtained from theinformation-detecting sensor, and the discharge of ink in the ink jetrecording apparatus is stopped to output no printed image when theprinting control information does not agree with the databaseinformation.
 10. An ink jet print system according to claim 2, whereinsaid ink jet recording medium is a rolled paper having a core.
 11. Anink jet print system according to claim 9, wherein the discharge of inkin said ink jet recording apparatus is stopped and the conveyingapparatus is driven to recover the ink jet recording medium having noprinted image, with a roll-recovering apparatus.
 12. An ink jet printsystem according to claim 8, wherein the discharge of ink in said inkjet recording apparatus is stopped and the conveying apparatus is drivento recover the ink jet recording medium having an outputted imagedifferent from that based on image data, with a roll-recoveringapparatus.
 13. An ink jet print system according to claim 2, whereinsaid ink jet recording medium is separated with a roll-recoveringapparatus.
 14. An ink jet print system according claim 2, wherein saidink jet recording medium is cut with a cutter and then separated withthe tray apparatus, instead of using a roll-recovering apparatus.
 15. Anink jet print system according to claim 2, wherein said printing controlinformation is provided on the side reverse to the side of said ink jetrecording medium on which ink jet recording is to be conducted.
 16. Anink jet print system according to claim 2, wherein said printing controlinformation of said ink jet recording medium is detected with aninformation-detecting sensor by means of at least one light selectedfrom visible light, near infrared rays and fluorescence.
 17. An ink jetprint system according to claim 2, wherein at least one of a logo printand code information is selected as said printing control information ofsaid ink jet recording medium and is detected with aninformation-detecting sensor.
 18. An ink jet print system according toclaim 2, wherein after the impartment of said printing controlinformation to said ink jet recording medium, the surface on which theimpartment has been carried out is subjected to at least one treatmentselected from coating of the surface with a resin by extrusion coatingand attachment of a resin film to the surface.
 19. An ink jet printsystem according to claim 8, wherein the amount of ink discharged fromthe ink nozzles of the ink jet recording apparatus is smaller than theoptimum amount by 10% or more, or the speed of conveyance of the ink jetrecording medium in the ink jet recording apparatus is higher than theoptimum speed by 10% or more.